


Love is much stronger than war

by coldflashwavebaby



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Season/Series 02, The Legion of Doom (DCU)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-02-26 06:37:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldflashwavebaby/pseuds/coldflashwavebaby
Summary: But as the city mourned the Flash, no one cared for Barry Allen, the young CSI who had been a suspected casualty of Zoom’s meta army, though a body had never been found.It never would be, either.-------Len didn't sacrifice himself at the Oculus, knowing he had a husband to come home to. Barry sacrificed himself to get his speed back, knowing that he had a husband to protect.





	1. Prologue- If the worst should happen

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping to update this either every day or every week. Don't quote me. There's no set schedule. I have an idea of where this is going, so bear with me.

“Are you sure about this?”

            The clamps closed around Barry’s hands and feet with a loud clank, securing his decision. There was no going back. He needed to get his powers back to stop Zoom. There was no other way. He gave Joe what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

            “It’ll be alright, Joe. I have to do this.”

            He had to do it. That’s what he kept telling himself. He had to make Central City safe for the ones he loved.

            Iris watched worriedly from his right, twisting the ring he’d given her in her hand. She and Lisa were the only ones who knew, the only witnesses to what he and Len had done only a few months before.

            “Barry,” she whispered up to him, “please tell me that you’re going to be okay. You have so much to lose, and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

            He sighed. “What happens if Zoom is here when the Legends come back, Iris? What’s to stop him from taking my husband from me?”

            In that second, he could see Eddie flashing through Iris’ eyes—every kiss, every laugh, right up to the moment he killed himself to save them. She, more than anyone, understood.

            But…

“If the worse should happen, though,” he said suddenly, “give Len the ring, and tell him that I tried to be here waiting for him, but the Flash wouldn’t let me.”

            Iris laughed through the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I will. I promise.”

            She stepped away then, letting his father come forward. He only lied a little, when he told him that being the Flash was the best version of him. The best version of him was when he was in his husband’s arms, ready to take on the world, but he would’ve never had that without the Flash, and never would again if he couldn’t stop Zoom.  

            “You ready, Allen?”

            He gave Harry an encouraging nod. His family stepped back so the blast doors could close, but he could still see them through the glass. He should’ve told Joe, told his dad, before the shut the doors. If he didn’t make it, what would they think when the Waverider came back? Would Iris tell them? Would Len?

            What did it mean that, in what could possibly be his final moments, Barry lied to his loved ones by omission?

            He was jerked from his thoughts by a burning sensation through his veins. The fingerprinting chemicals. He couldn’t hear what was happening in the other room, but he could see Iris yelling something.

            He probably yelled out something encouraging—he wasn’t sure, because in that next moment his body started to seize. He pictured Len in his mind’s eye and held on with every ounce of willpower he could muster.

            Then, pure power burst through his body. It was like the night of the particle accelerator blowing all over again. Every cell in his body supercharged, lightning coursed through him, and…he began to blow away.

            It was the most painful sensation of his life. His entire body began to fall apart at the seams, his family stared through the glass in horror, and all Barry could do was scream.

            Finally, there was nothing.


	2. One Year Later...

**One Year Later…**

A flash of yellow lightning cut through the streets of Central. Past Jitters, past the police precinct, all the way to the large crowd gathering at the front door of the new museum the city had built, right down the street from STAR labs.

            _The Flash Museum._

            For a second, one could almost believe that the Scarlet Speedster running onto the stage was the original Flash. That is, until he slowed down. Until he waved energetically for the cameras, smiled and winked at the adoring superhero groupies in the front row, did a little spin for the crowd.

            Wallace was quite the show-boater.

            From the sidelines of the crowd, Len rolled his eyes. The whole museum was a sham, a dedication to the fallen hero the city had never really known. He didn’t object to Wallace taking on the Flash mantle—someone had to stop Zoom, and, after he and Jesse Quick got super speed from the blast, it seemed like Barry himself had chosen him. But as the city mourned the Flash, no one cared for Barry Allen, the young CSI who had been a suspected casualty of Zoom’s meta army, though a body had never been found.

            It never would be, either. From the way Iris described it, Barry didn’t exist anymore. He was blown into atoms in the air in some foolish, heroic attempt to stop Zoom.

            He didn’t know at what point he’d started clenching his fists, but a hand squeezed his arm. “Calm down, Leonard,” Iris whispered. “It’s just a dog and pony show. The city wants to remember Barry the only way they know how.”

            “Then they should remember _him_ ,” Len hissed. “Not some merciful god-like hero…look at that thing, Iris!” He pointed to the gold statue of the Flash that the city erected as the main focal point of the museum entrance. “That’s not Barry. I don’t know who the hell it is, but it doesn’t even _look_ like him! It doesn’t have his easy smile, or his kind eyes, or those little freckles he had on his neck!”

            “You’re right,” Iris interrupted. “It’s not Barry. Because they don’t know about Barry. They don’t know that he was their hero, or that he died for them. They don’t know what a kind, good-hearted person he was outside of being the Flash, or that he loved so deeply and so fully that he melted the heart of the coldest supervillain the city has ever seen.”

            Len snorted.

            “But,” Iris continued, “they did know the Flash. That he was their hero. And they want everyone to know how much they love and appreciate him, even after his death, for all the things he did for them. This is their way of mourning their hero. It’s not their fault he was so much more to the rest of us.”

            Len’s hand gripped the ring that hung from the chain around his neck. He was too young to be a widower, and Barry was too young to be dead. It wasn’t fair. If he’d known, back at the Vanishing Point, what was waiting for him when he came home—an empty apartment and a grieving sister-in-law, holding out Barry’s wedding ring—he never would’ve let Hunter blow himself away in the Oculus. Then, he could’ve at least gone out heroically, made Barry proud and joined him, wherever he was.

            Now if he did it, Barry would just be ashamed. And he didn’t want to face that.

            So, he carried on. He quit thievery all together, quit the Waverider, and joined Team Flash, much to the rest of the team’s confusion. Luckily, not long after that, Iris had started dating Lisa, so it was easier for him just to say that he was looking out for family.

            He helped them take down Zoom, helped train Wallace to be the best Flash he could be, and shoved his fist into Wells’ face the first chance he got. _That_ had been satisfying.

            He sighed heavily, returning his attention to the ceremony, just as the mayor handed Wallace a pair of giant scissors to cut through the ribbon tied in front of the doorway of the museum.

            “I miss him,” he heard himself whisper. “I don’t know if I can do this without him.”

            “Then don’t,” Iris said. “You don’t have to be on Team Flash, or be a hero for Barry’s sake. All he’d want from you is to carry on. I think you’ve been doing that just fine.”

            The ceremony came to a close, and Len and Iris joined in on the applause. He’d accepted months ago that there was no miracle bringing his husband back to him. Being with Team Flash was the only connection he had to Barry anymore.

0000000

            First, there was darkness. A never-ending darkness that enveloped everything it touched. But, within it, there was a song. He could hear it, vibrating through all of time and existence. There were no words, just a soft melody that kept him floating through the darkness.

            Then, something washed over him, and it took a few minutes to realize it was consciousness. The rivers of time and winds of life blew through him, and he could feel again.

            _“I think he’s waking up_. _”_ He could hear distantly. _“Go get the ape. He’s going to want to see him.”_

            When he opened his eyes, there was light. It wasn’t overwhelming— _a blast of pure energy that enveloped everything in its path—_ but he flinched away all the same.

            A hand fell to his face—a cool, gloved hand—and traced his cheek gently. “It’s okay. We’re all friends here. Calm yourself.”

            It was a woman’s voice; calm, soothing, with an accent. Where was he? _Who_ was he? Who were these people around him?

            His eyes started to focus. The woman was perched on the side of the bed he was laying on. She was small, beautiful, with brown hair and sharp eyes that said she was more dangerous than she looked. The room’s other occupant was a white-haired man. Everything about him read ‘untrustworthy’, from the shady gleam in his piercing blue eyes, to the devilish smirk on his face.

            He tried to sit up, but his arms and legs didn’t move. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His heart sped up, his breath shortened, and the woman quickly shushed him.

            “It’s okay, Al'usul,” she cooed, stroking his face calmingly. “You’ve been through so much—through the veil from which few return. Your body will take time to recover, as will your mind. For now, I will ask you some questions, and you will blink once for ‘yes’, and twice for ‘no’. Is that alright?”

            He blinked once. The woman smiled. “Very good. Now, do you know your name?”

            He thought hard. A name? He had to have one. But, every time he thought back to anything before the burning pain and electric energy, it was like a blank slate. There were no details. He blinked twice.

            She nodded. “Don’t panic. We’ll help you through all of this. Now, do you know who I am, or who this is?” She motioned to the man behind her.

            He blinked twice.

            She nodded again. “One final question—do you know who the Flash or the Legends are?”

            He frowned and blinked twice. What kind of names were those?

            The woman seemed pleased with his answers though, and, to be honest, it made him happy to make her happy. “My name is Talia Al Ghul. I am your teacher and mentor. You are very special, Al’usul. You and I are going to help our friends take back the world from those responsible for your state.”

            The confidence in her voice reassured him. He was ready to do his teacher’s bidding.

 

             


	3. The Legion of Doom

            Central City was quiet for days after the opening of the Flash Museum. Team Flash guessed that it was because the New Rogues were taking some time to let the attention cool down before they decided to strike again, but Len knew the criminals all too well.

            It had nothing to do with the heat, and everything to do with the Rogues Wing of the museum, dedicated to their exploits. Of course, it was nothing like the exhibit they’d offered Len—arch-nemesis turned reluctant ally turned hero Captain Cold—but it was nice. There were booths people could stand in that simulated Mardon’s storms, the original mirror Sam Scudder popped out of, a whole wax figure area where people could put on parts of costumes and pose with the different Rogues. The curator knew what she was doing. If anyone so much as stole the blueprints to the place, they’d have the entire gallery on them before they could say ‘particle accelerator’.

            The Rogues had actually been pretty quiet for a while, though. Even before the museum, after they learned what the Flash had done for Central City to stop Zoom, they actually helped Wallace and the STAR Labs team push back Zoom’s meta army and spent a fortnight in mourning for their enemy. Just because someone does bad things doesn’t make them a bad person, after all.

            Len would never tell anyone else that. It kept Team Flash on their toes, not knowing when the next attack would come.

            He sat at his station in STAR Labs, timing himself as he took his gun apart and put it back together again. Wallace was on patrol by himself for the day. Iris was at work, as was West. Henry Allen was puttering around the medical area with Caitlin, whose flashy new engagement ring shined every time she pointed to a screen. Cisco was at his station, watching his fiancé in a sickening, loving way that both made Len want to gag and made his heart lurch. He’d always thought that Lisa and Cisco would end up together, but after seeing her suffer from Zolomon, it seemed that Cisco had finally discovered his true feelings for the good doctor and acted on them. It all worked out for them—Iris and Lisa were a better match in his opinion, anyway.

            He started his stopwatch and took his gun apart yet again, only to freeze when he heard a crash behind him.

            “Cisco!”

            Caitlin was the first one to the cortex desk, followed closely by Doc Allen. Len stayed at his desk, but eyed the tech, now sprawled on the ground, worriedly. What could he do that two great doctors couldn’t, after all?

            Cisco was staring blankly into space, his jaw slack like he was getting a vibe. Len had never seen a vibe last longer than a few seconds, though.

            “Is he okay?”

            “Something happened,” Caitlin called back. “It’s something to do with his powers, like they’re overpowering him or something. We need to sedate him.”

            Len knew that was a hint for him to run into the med lab and grab one of their sedatives. He threw the syringe towards Doc Allen, who caught it in one hand and stabbed it into Cisco’s neck. Almost immediately, Cisco went lax, his eyes fluttering closed.

            “What the hell could’ve caused that?” Len asked. He’d never seen Cisco react that way to anything.

            Caitlin shook her head, her eyes wide with worry. “I…I don’t know. Maybe…maybe something’s wrong.”

            An understatement if Len had ever heard one. When something affected Cisco’s powers, it wasn’t an inconvenience. There was something wrong with the universe. And there was only one person left who knew all about time and disruptions.

            “We need to call the Legends, now.”

0000000

            The Lazarus Cave was the last known dwelling of a Lazarus Pit in existence. Since Talia’s sister, who she hated talking about, destroyed the pit in their home, Talia had been forced to come to the secret cave in order to heal Al’usul and bring him back.

            In the months since, he had trained hard and fast, taking to weapons faster than any other student before, Talia had claimed. There was a ferocity in him, a deep-rooted fury that bled out each time he held a weapon. When he asked Talia about it, she explained that, when he was a child, a man took his parents from him, a crime which never saw justice.

            Talia’s friends came and went through their training, claiming that they were being kept busy by the Legends, or the Flash, or the Green Arrow. They were odd people—there was Kuasa, an African woman who controlled water; the man from his awakening, Damian Darhk, who’d used his powerful magic to help resurrect Al’usul; a blonde woman named Black Siren, who seemed to hate Dahrk, though she and Al’usul had become close comrades; Eobard Thawne, a powerful man who could move faster than any of the others—he asked him about it once, and Thawne just laughed; and finally, the most memorable, was Grodd, the giant, telepathic gorilla who had helped them track down Al’usul’s consciousness in order to bring him back completely.

            Grodd was around the cave more than the others, being unable to spend time in the human world unnoticed like the others. Al’usul avoided him as often as he could, which is what he was currently doing.

            There was a small cave, just above the Lazarus Pit, which was hard to see, and even harder to reach. Al’usul had a way of finding hidden nooks where he could avoid people, and this was his favorite.

            He sighed, concentrating on the meditating that Talia had taught him. His mind, however, wouldn’t settle. A million things were buzzing about: strategies, questions, flashes of yellow lightning, the memory of a warm body pressed against his, but more importantly, the _thrum_ under his skin.

            “Is there something troubling you, Al’usul?”

            The voice jarred him from his forced meditation. Talia was crouched beside him in the low cavern, watching him questioningly.

            At first, he wanted to ask about the lightning, about the warmth, but, for some reason, his mind told him not to. _Keep it close_ , it told him, _keep it safe._

So, the next burning question slipped out. “You said that I’m special—Al’usul, _The Asset—_ but Grodd is a telepathic gorilla. Dahrk has magic. Kuasa controls water. Dinah can do that… _shriek_ thing. Thawne is fast. Even you’re a master assassin. What do any of you need me for? What can I do that none of you can?”

            A light chuckle fell from Talia’s lips as she took a seat at his side. “Al’usul, I will be very honest with you. Before you were reborn, you were nothing. A lowly worker bee, buzzing around, trying to set the world right alone. You were given a special gift by Thawne, but it was stolen from you by the Flash. You died trying to regain it, but your living soul went somewhere special, Al’usul.” She touched his arm. “The energy from that explosion changed you at the most basic levels. Every cell inside your body has been powered by energy from a dimension called the Speed Force. And, once you learn to use your new power, you will bring your murderers to their knees, and bring back the days of glory for us all.”

            Al’usul frowned, looking down at his hands, confused.

            Talia took one in her hand. “Soon, you will train with Thawne to use this ability. First, however, you must learn to protect yourself without it. You must make your body a weapon, as well as your mind and soul.”

            Al’usul nodded in understanding. “Can…can I ask you something?”

            Talia furrowed her brow. “Of course.”

            He knew what he wanted to ask, but the question caught in his throat. He wanted to ask about the emptiness that had gnawed at his insides. The feeling that, since he’d woke up, something had been missing. The warmth he remembered, the striking blue eyes. He wanted to ask if he’d lost someone, before. The same voice inside, though, warned him against it.

            “My parents…” he asked instead. “Who took them from me?”

            A small smile pulled at Talia’s lips. “The Flash and his team killed them.” She leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead. “But that is no longer important. You will avenge them. You are the beacon of our legion, and you will lead us to victory.”

0000000

            Talia left Al’usul in his hiding place, doubt eating away at her. He was asking questions about his past. How much was he going to remember? If he remembered his ties with the Legends, even with the Flash, their mission could be over before it even began.

            She strode into the Legion chamber, where Thawne, Grodd, Darhk, Kuasa, and Siren were waiting for her. She sneered at the former two. “You said that his conversion was unbreakable. He’s begun asking questions about who he was. When he looks at me, I can see that he has more to ask.”

            Kuasa perked up. “What has he asked?”

            “He asked about his parents.”

            Dahrk, in all his arrogance, rolled his eyes. “Really, Talia? He asked about two people he doesn’t even remember, not his life story. Anyone would be curious about that. His memories aren’t coming back— _they can’t_. They aren’t there anymore. Grodd and I have made sure of it.”

            Her attention turned to Grodd, who was watching them indifferently. “And what do _you_ think?”

            Over the past two years working with Grodd, Talia had become used to the telepathic way the gorilla spoke. Still, it made her uncomfortable that he could read her mind at the same time as he spoke. _“I have read through Flash’s mind, both before his awakening and after his training. Dahrk speaks true—his memories are gone. All that is left are impressions, which can easily be ignored and diverted._

 _“That being said,”_ he continued, _“it would be foolish to ignore any warning signs. Keep an eye on him. Any sign that he is remembering Barry Allen, we will eliminate him.”_

Grodd’s bluntness took Talia aback, but she didn’t dare question him. Not when he could bring them all to their knees with only one thought. Thawne stood.

            “Tomorrow, I’ll start his training. We may need to push forward our schedule. If there’s one thing I know about the Flash, it’s that he’s very good at doing the unexpected.”

She nodded. “I understand. I will tell him.” As she turned to leave, she heard a chair push out and footsteps hurrying to catch up with her. She didn’t have to turn to see that it was Black Siren.

            They waited until they were outside of the chamber before they spoke. “What do you wish to say, Miss Lance?”

            Siren flinched at her true name but continued all the same. “It’s about Al’usul.”

            “You’re worried about him,” Talia guessed. It hadn’t escaped her notice that, apart from her, Al’usul spent most of his time around the metahuman. “You fear his fate because you’ve grown attached.”

            She didn’t argue it. She didn’t need to. Siren knew that Talia would keep her observations to herself.

            “I want to help with his training,” Siren said. “He needs to learn how to fight metahumans, especially if he’s going to fight the new Flash. I worked with Zoom, I’ve defeated the new Flash. I know more about stopping speedsters than anyone else here.”

            Talia considered this. She didn’t like the idea of Thawne working alone with Al’usul—given their history, she wouldn’t put it past him to be downright sadistic. She nodded. “Agreed. Keep in mind though, Miss Lance. Do not get too attached him. He is a tool, a weapon—he is not your friend.”

            A small smile grew on Siren’s lips, and Talia knew that her warning would go unheeded.

 


	4. Al-usul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure I'm completely happy with this story, but I have a lot of ideas about what I want to have happen and where I want it to go, so I want to see what everyone thinks of it over the next couple of chapters before I decide what to do with it.

Al-usul swung his swords around with deathly precision, avoiding the blast from Black Siren while simultaneously blocking a blow from Darhk’s sword.

            Thawne and Talia stood on the sidelines of the training room, watching him with rapt interest. Talia knew the speedster’s history with Al-usul—he was obsessed with him, first the future version of ‘The Flash’ he grew up learning of, then the adolescent version he watched and helped nurture after murdering his mother. He was the perfect person to watch for signs that Barry Allen was resurfacing.

            At the moment, he was pursing his lips curiously.

            “What is it?”

            The speedster tilted his head. “It’s not about the previous Flash,” that’s how they referred to Barry Allen, pre-death. Thawne feared that saying his name might jog some memories, “but Al-usul doesn’t seem like he’s a speedster anymore.”

            Talia frowned. She was sure that, at some point during the fight with Siren and Darhk, she’d seen him move across the room in seconds. “Are you sure?”

            Thawne nodded. “I don’t see him when he moves. There’s no lightning, no gust of wind. If I move at superspeeds, I still don’t see him. It’s like, instead of moving, he just… _transports._ ”

            Talia watched the fight closer. Siren turned on him and screamed again, but this time… _there!_ He moved so he was behind her. Thawne was right, though. No lightning. No wind.

            “Stop.”

            The fight ended almost immediately at Talia’s call. Al-usul’s hands snapped behind his back in a submissive, student stance. “Yes, teacher?”

            She stepped into the training space, eyeing her weapon curiously. “Your abilities, Al-usul…they are different than they were before your death. Can you show me how you are getting around the training area?”

            Al-usul gave her a small bow and reached out a hand to her. Curious, she accepted the hand. The second their hands touched, everyone in the room stopped, except for her and Al-usul. Talia wasn’t sure what was happening. They weren’t moving at superspeed—the rest of the room moved just fine. The fires burned and the wind blew the same.

            Then, she caught sight of the pocket watch. There was a small golden pocket watch on one of the benches. Darhk’s, she believed. The second hand was flickering back and forth between the second niches.

            Her eyes widened. A time bubble. They were in a single, looped second. They could move anywhere, do anything for however long they wished, and be back without a second passing.

            “This is amazing,” she doted, turning to lay a praising hand on his cheek. “You really are the perfect asset, Al-usul. You will be perfect gift to this world.”

            He beamed with pride. There was a childlike innocence behind his eyes that, if Talia were weak, would make her feel guilty for taking advantage. She released his hand, and the bubble disappeared, throwing her back into reality.

            “I believe that we are ready to begin our mission.” The others all gave shocked stares, but Talia knew it was time. With such a powerful asset, so loyal to them, how could they fail?

            “I think you may be jumping the gun, Talia,” Thawne spoke up. “Sure, Al-usul is ready in skill, but we don’t even know about his mental state. How is he going to feel when he encounters Team Flash again?”

            _When he sees his loved ones again._

Talia could admit when Thawne had a point. “What do you suggest, Eobard?”

            A dark smirk pulled at the speedster’s lips. “I suggest a test run. He and Black Siren go to Central together, stir up some trouble.”

            “And what will that prove?”

            Thawne chuckled. “Al-usul.”

            Al-usul returned to his submissive pose and turned to Thawne.

            “I would like for you and Black Siren to go to Central and destroy STAR Labs, along with everyone inside.”

            Talia knew that Thawne could be twisted, but outright asking the once-Flash to destroy something so sacred to him?  Though, if he did, it would mean that he was ready for the mission. She grinned. “And, should you complete your task, you will begin the mission ahead to help us create a new world.”

            She needed to prepare the rest of the Legion for the mission ahead. Or, if it came to it, make them aware that the asset wasn’t what they needed.

0000000

            Four hours after Cisco collapsed, he was lying on the med bed, still unconscious, his eyes not even fluttering, even as his fiancée held his hand and stroked it with her thumb. Len was hovering in the doorway of the medbay, his eyes flickering between Cisco and his watch. How could a bunch of time travelers be late?

            He heard high heels clicking on the floor behind him, followed by what sounded like heeled boots. So, Iris and Lisa made it before the Legends. Lisa walked past him and sat on Cisco’s other side, taking the other hand in hers. A hand fell on Len’s shoulder.

            “Any changes?”

            He shook his head. “No. Caitlin gave him an MRI, a CAT scan—every test she can. There’s nothing wrong, medically. Henry’s in Cisco’s workshop, on the phone with some meta human specialist that works in the CCPD. Is Joe still at work?”

            He glanced back at Iris, who nodded. “Yeah. He knows what’s going on, though.”

             “We can’t lose him, too.” He turned to his sister-in-law, staring at her friend with watery eyes. “We already lost Barry. We can’t lose Cisco, too. We don’t even know what’s happening to him.”

            No, they didn’t. There was no reason for Cisco’s powers to go crazy like that. Either something really bad was about to happen, or someone didn’t want Cisco seeing something he shouldn’t.

            _Or both_ , he thought.

            Shit.

            He jumped to alert. “We need to get Wallace in his suit and on the streets, now. Iris, you’re in charge of the comms. Keep calling the Legends. We need them, now.” As he spit out orders, he ran into the cortex and grabbed his gear. After years of working and surviving together, Lisa immediately came to his side, her gold gun already holstered to her thigh.

            “What the hell is happening?” Iris asked, hurrying over to the desk to call Wallace. “What’s the emergency?”

            “We’re about to be under attack,” Len explained. “And whoever it is took out our early warning system.”

            Iris’ eyes widened, Lisa tensed beside him, and, before anyone could make any other moves, the entire building started to shake.


	5. The Beginning of the End

The building shook all around them, and Len did the only thing he could think to do. Running behind the desk, he began typing in the emergency code that he and Cisco had developed together. The lights in the room turned red. In less than sixty seconds, a blast door would shut around the cortex, keeping everyone inside safe. Even if the building came down, the cortex was reinforced. 

“Lisa, come on!” He drew his gun and headed out the door, not waiting for his sister. The alarms were going off, but there was no way their attackers were inside yet. Len had redone the entire security system. There was no way anyone could bypass it so fast. 

He and Lisa ran into the elevator and took it to the ground floor. The second they stepped outside, though, a laser blast struck the wall beside them. Both tucked and rolled in different directions, taking cover behind the pillars. Len peeked around the corner. 

Harry was ducked behind the desk in the lobby, his blaster rifle aimed at the blown-in doors. “Wells!” Len shouted. “What the hell is happening?”

Harry fired at the doors again, before dropping back for cover. “It’s Black Siren and her cronies!”

At that moment, everything was drowned out by an overwhelmingly ear-splitting screech. Len covered his ears, but he was sure that there was blood coming out of them. He thought it would never end—the room was shaking; his vision was turning black. When he looked over at Lisa, she was in the fetal position on the floor, blood dripping through her fingers as she tried to block out the noise.

Then, there was a bright flash of light, and the scream stopped. 

“That’s enough noise pollution,” Wallace said as he stared down at Black Siren, now crumbled on the floor and holding her jaw. She sneered up at him. 

“Oh, I’m not the one you need to worry about, Flash.”

Before Len could worry about what that meant, a figure appeared out of nowhere behind Wallace. He wore all black, like a ninja, with a black scarf covering his entire face except his eyes. Those were covered by a pair of goggles. There were two swords strapped to his back, at least ten throwing knives strapped to each leg, and if Len had to guess there were at least five other weapons hidden somewhere on his person. He just seemed the type.   
Wallace didn’t even see him coming.   


The newcomer drew one of his knives and sliced through the tendons of Wallace’s ankles. He dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, a broken cry escaping his lips. 

Len cursed—there was a new player on the board, and now, the Flash was helpless. Without caring about consequences, Len rose to his feet and fired. The newcomer disappeared entirely, and Black Siren rolled away from the stream of cold. 

She sent a scream directly at him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid it. He noticed it too late. 

Lucky for him, Harry had been paying attention. Len was suddenly pushed to the floor, with Harry taking the brunt of the blast. Wells was thrown back against the wall. His head hit with a sickening crack. 

Len didn’t have time to check on him, though. Black Siren was just distracting them. Where was the other guy? He searched around, trying to spot him, but there were about five hooded gunmen running around, firing at anything that moved. 

Lisa had already dragged Wallace out of the line of fire, and Harry was crawling away. Lisa turned to Len. “This is a distraction! Go find the other one!” 

He realized she was right. Black Siren and her goons were making a lot of noise and damage, but nothing that would justify attacking somewhere like STAR Labs in broad daylight. That meant that the other one was the real threat. He searched around the lobby, but there was no sign of him. 

“Damn it,” he hissed. The emergency protocols would shut down the elevator, but whoever he was could still take the stairs. He had to be running for the upper levels, where all the good stuff was. He slipped away from the mercs, towards the back stairwell. The other man probably took the main stairs, which gave Len the advantage. The main stairs let out on the other side of the cortex from anything important. 

He took the steps two at a time, up flight after flight. He was lucky that, though the cortex was on the 600th floor, most of those floors were under the lobby. When he finally made it, he raised his cold gun. There was no one in sight, though he was sure that the other man was there. He stepped carefully and quietly, hoping that Cisco wasn’t dumb enough to let anyone out of the cortex. 

His ears perked when he heard breathing. It was soft, like someone trying to stay silent, but definitely around the corner. He tensed. A shadow cast on the wall. Any second, and he could kill the SOB attacking them.

Then, another shadow appeared beside it, and Len lowered his weapon. Damn them.

“Ramon!” 

One of the shadows stiffened, and Len stomped around the corner. Iris and Cisco were standing in the corridor, the former wielding a blaster rifle. He rolled his eyes. 

“The point of the lockdown,” he growled, “is to keep you all safe. Not for you to open breaches to get around the blast doors because you’re bored!” 

“We aren’t letting you face this alone!” Iris argued. “You and Lisa are my family. Wally is my brother. I’m not sitting on the sidelines while you all risk your lives.”

Len wanted to argue. What if something happened to all of them? Who would continue Barry’s mission? Who would remember who he really was? Who would keep STAR Labs going? But they didn’t have time for that. There was a crazy meta loose. 

“One of Siren’s meta friends is up here. He’s highly skilled and faster than even Wallace. So, keep your eyes peeled and try not to die.”

Cisco scoffed, offended, but Iris gave Len a secret smile that said, ‘I know that’s your way of saying you care’. 

He didn’t comment. Instead, he took the lead, ordering Cisco to cover their backs for a quick escape, and Iris to keep her gun raised. Together, they moved swiftly through the halls. Iris got ahead of them, rounding each corner first since she had the big gun.

“Wait!” Len paused at Cisco’s order. They turned to see him looking over a section of wall. “This looks like it’s been tampered with…” Len frowned as Cisco pried the panel off. The second he saw what was on the other side, though, his heart nearly stopped. 

“Cisco, get to the cortex now!” he ordered. Cisco’s eyes widened at the large countdown clock on the bomb strapped into the wall. 

“Why don’t I just transport the bomb?!”

“Can you remove it from the wall without setting it off?”

Cisco looked behind it and shook his head. “No. Somehow, this guy melded it to the wall.”

“Then go! I’ll find Iris and get her out.” 

He didn’t know how he was going to do that, but he couldn’t worry about both of them. Cisco nodded and breached out. Len looked at the clock on the bomb. Ninety seconds left. That didn’t leave a lot of time. He broke out into a run, hoping he’d find Iris before time ran out. A grunt in the hall ahead had him running even faster.

 

When he rounded the corner, the man in black was striking out at Iris. Her gun was broken into two pieces, and she was sprawled on the floor. Len didn’t even think--he leaped between them, blocking the blow from the man’s sword with his cold gun.

 

The man was thrown back against the floor, giving Len enough time to look back at Iris. There was a slice across her head and a bruise below her eye. She was unconscious, but her chest rose and fell slowly. He breathed out a sigh of relief. He’d gotten there just in time.

 

A hiss made him turn around. The man was rising from the floor, pushing his shoulder back into place with a sickening crack. Len blanched but raised his gun anyway. When the man tried to move on him again, he fired a warning shot. Well, he’d meant it to be one.

 

To be honest, the man moved so quick, it was difficult for Len to aim. Instead of hitting the wall right past the man’s head, the cold blast struck the side of the man’s goggles. The man hissed and ripped the goggles free...and Len froze in place.

 

He knew those eyes. Those beautiful, hazel eyes.

 

“Barry?”

 

The man paused. His brow crinkled like he was confused hearing his own name. He lowered his sword slowly, and Len knew. This was his Barry.

 

“Barry…” he whispered, stepping closer. “How…?” He reached out a hand, but Barry flinched away. His hand tightened on his sword, but Len knew he wouldn’t use it. Not on him.

 

He never got the chance to find out. A vibe blast blew Barry away, and, before Len could object, a breach opened below him and Iris. Cisco jumped through with them, and three disappeared just as the building exploded.  


End file.
